THE Liberal Democrats last night claimed they were poised to take a seat from the SNP on Thursday, despite polls suggesting a Nationalist landslide.
Risking ridicule on May 6, party sources predicted leader Willie Rennie would oust the SNP's Roderick Campbell in North East Fife.
Rennie squeaked into Holyrood in 2011 with 5.9 per cent of the list vote in Mid-Scotland and Fife.
However he did achieve a surprise win over Labour in the Westminster by-election for Dunfermline and West Fife in 2006.
The LibDems said the last-minute swing seen then is now being repeated in North East Fife.
Rennie said: “Lots of people are moving to us and momentum is building just like in Dunfermline. I’m not going to say we’re over the line yet. But it feels good.”
The SNP won North East Fife with a 2592-vote majority on a 15 per cent swing, defeating former LibDem minister Iain Smith, who famously cried at the election count.
Campbell hit back: “It's the height of arrogance for the LibDems to be claiming victory before polling stations even open. Come Friday, Willie Rennie may wish he'd spent less time talking himself up and more time talking to voters."
At last year’s general election, the SNP’s Stephen Gethins won the overlapping Westminster seat of Fife North East, previously held by Sir Menzies Campbell, by 4344 votes.
However the Holyrood seat does not include the town of Leven, which voted heavily SNP.
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